- Judge ruled that Omi in a Hellcat must pay $8 million damages to Nike for trademark infringements
- Omi in a Hellcat ruled to have sold copycat versions of Nike sneakers
- Not the first time Omi in a Hellcat has been on wrong side of the law
YouTuber Omi in a Hellcat has been ordered by a judge to pay Nike $8 million for trademark infringements over copycat sneakers he sold.
On April 19, New York judge Victor Marrero ordered Omi in a Hellcat – real name Bill Omar Carrasquillo – to pay the sneaker maker damages for “promoting, copying, and selling” copycat versions of its Air Jordan 1 and Nike Dunk speakers. Sneaker Legal first reported this on Instagram.
This was a default judgement as, according to court documents, Omi’s lawyers had withdrawn as he had failed to pay outstanding fees due to them. The court granted the motion to withdraw, and this led to the conclusion of the case.
In addition to the damages, Omi has been banned from making and selling the copycat sneakers in the future.
The ruling ends the legal wrangling between Nike and Omi, which started in 2022 when the former filed a trademark infringement lawsuit. Initially, Nike also took action against designer Kool Kiy too for trademark infringement, but the two parties agreed a settlement in Nike’s favor in August last year.
This is not the first time Omi – who rose to fame through his YouTube channel documenting his luxury lifestyle – has fallen foul of the law. In March 2023, he was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for a range of offences, including piracy of cable TV, access device fraud and copyright infringement. He was also ordered to forfeit $30 million – and this resulted in an auction of his luxury car collection.
